The big game when it comes out

The big game arrives Friday, November 18 at 9:15 p.m. exclusively on Sky and streaming only on NOW. With the first episode visible to everyone also on YouTube. This is a new Sky Original TV series directed by Fabio Resinaro and Nico Marzano. In the cast of notable names from the small and big screen. Among these are the protagonists Francesco Montanari (The hunter, The Medici – In the name of the family), Elena Radonicich (1992, The red door, Fabrizio De André – The free prince) and the winner of David di Donatello and candidate for the Oscars Giancarlo Giannini (Casino Royale, The Heart Elsewhere, Pasqualino Settebellezze).

The Big Game is a television series born from an idea by Alessandro Roja. It is divided into 8 episodes written by Tommaso Capolicchio, Giacomo Durzi, Filippo Kalomenidis, Marcello Olivieri and Andrea Cotti. In each of them is revealed the mysterious behind the scenes of the world of football, apparently known to many, but which in reality hides its own harsh and sometimes almost tragic dynamics, precisely of the transfer market. One of the most exciting moments of the entire football season. This particular theme has never been addressed before in a series.

In addition to the protagonists mentioned above, the cast is completed by Lorenzo Cervasio (Like a cat on the ring road – Return to Coccia di Morto, Human capital) in the role of Federico De Gregorio and Jesús Mosquera Bernal (Toy Boy), who here plays the Champion Carlos Quintana. Then we have Lorenzo Aloi (Leaving Rome One Day, Loyalty, The Swan Company 2) as Marco Assari, Giovanni Crozza Signoris (The Traitor, Zero), who will lend his face to young football promise Antonio Lagioia and Vladimir Aleksić as Sasha Kirillov.

Synopsis of The Big Game

Corso Manni, former golden boy of prosecutors at ISG, Italy’s largest prosecutorial company, is totally retired from the world of football. And this because of some false accusations that see him involved in a betting organization. Determined to rehabilitate his name and his professional position, Manni initially sets out to obtain the power of attorney of the champion Quintana and the promising Antonio Lagioia. All with the help of young lawyer Marco Assari, however encountering the obstacle of Dino and Elena De Gregorio respectively CEO of ISG and his ex-wife. Subsequently, after discovering the betrayal of some people he once trusted, his desire for redemption turns into a dangerous game of alliances in which Sasha Kirillov also enters at some point. The latter is a seasoned agent of the Russian Plustar, determined to conquer not only the Italian football market, but also the very precious grounds belonging to ISG.

Sky bosses Nils Hartmann and Antonella D’Errico talk about the TV series

Today, Thursday November 17, protagonists, authors and directors met the press during the absolute preview presentation of Il grande gioco which we also attended from the editorial staff of VelvetMAG.

To introduce the TV series Nils Hartmann, Senior Vice President Sky Studios, who first explains the reasons for choosing the genre: “with Il grande gioco we left the genre with which we started (he refers to the series Romanzo Criminale then followed by Gomorrah), but which we always cross, which is the crime. We have opened up to other genres, we have worked with great directors and confirmed talents as well as with young talents who are going to impose themselves. I think the key word of this series is: exploration and experimentation, however always with a theme that is very dear to us: that of quality. So don’t compromise, don’t work to expand programming, but make series that can speak to different audiences. If on the one hand we have crime on the other comedy, we can call it a family drama – thriller. We have found our key to telling a great family saga with elements of yellow inside the background of the world of football”.

Followed by Antonella D’Errico, Executive Vice President Programming of Sky Italia, who reiterates the great satisfaction, a concept already anticipated by his colleague, to have created a product which, while talking about football, has the potential to attract audiences of all kinds. Being, in fact, based on a family saga.

The protagonists Francesco Montanari, Elena Radonicich and Giancarlo Giannini talk about their characters

Then the protagonists speak. Francesco Montanari, when asked about his relationship with football, replied: “It’s interesting to see how football, even for those who don’t go to stadiums like me, is so present in our daily culture and imminent. When I did Crime Novel, nobody asked me if I understood crime. Not even when I did The Deer Hunter if I knew the legal system. With The Big Game, everyone asks me how I relate to football. It’s not that I hate football, I like it a lot as a sport, but I’m not fascinated by everything around it”. He then continues to emphasize once again how cross-cutting the series can be and does so at through the story of a funny personal anecdote: “I also specify that my mother has never seen either Romanzo Criminale or Il Cacciatore because in her opinion they are too violent”.. My parents, 70 years old, not fans of football, saw The Big Game and thought, “Now what? You only gave us two episodes?!” “.

Elena Radonicich, meanwhile, speaking of her character, says: “It’s a well-written role. When I read the script, a very interesting, strong, three-dimensional character immediately appeared to me. It was a great privilege to be able to play against him. This woman leads an obvious powerful strategy: she wants to manipulate the surrounding reality. She does it to be recognized and find her place in the world. But not only, his main vector, in fact, is to find a way to be seen for the person he really is. A question that concerns everyone to some extent, especially in this historical period when masks constantly accompany everyone’s life.

Even the other protagonist, Giancarlo Giannini, who will be honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in February, says he is far from football. This one, in fact, says: “I see at most a few games on television and documentaries on animals. The rest doesn’t interest me. I’m just passionate about the World Cup. I read the script and I didn’t understand anything, I didn’t want to do it. Going to a Milanese restaurant, Giannino, frequented by footballers and agents, as well as Berlusconi, one evening I spoke to some of them. They told me that they too didn’t understand this world, so I invented it. This job is a game, maybe I tell lies, I always play with you but it’s the funniest thing in life”.